CHARLOTTE — Severe winter weather brought most of western North Carolina to a standstill for two consecutive weekends, forcing widespread cancellations and schedule changes for Masses, parish events and schools across the Diocese of Charlotte.
Over Jan. 24-25 and Jan. 31-Feb. 1, powerful storms delivered ice, snow, freezing rain and dangerously cold temperatures.
The N.C. State Climate Office called the Jan. 31 storm “our most widespread wintry event in more than a dozen years,” recording measurable snowfall in all 100 North Carolina counties for the first time since January 2014.
Snowfall totals ranged from 6 to 13 inches in the mountains and Asheville area, while the Piedmont and Triad were hit harder. Charlotte recorded about 11 inches, with more than a foot reported north of the city along the I-85 corridor. According to the National Weather Service, Rowan and Davidson counties saw the highest totals, with local reports exceeding 16 inches.
The snowstorm came one week after an Arctic front covered the region with ice, sleet and freezing rain Jan. 24 – downing power lines and making roads impassable for days.
The back-to-back storms prompted parishes and schools to cancel or postpone Masses, faith formation classes and other weekend events. Some offered livestreamed liturgies, ensuring that those at home could still participate in worship without risking icy commutes.
Bishop Michael Martin issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass, urging people to prioritize safety and avoid travel in the hazardous conditions.
Catholic Schools Week celebrations at the diocese’s 20 schools were curtailed or rescheduled, and some schools closed or shifted to virtual learning and Jan. 26-27 and Feb. 2-3.
The Mass for the Rite of Acolyte and Affirmation of Promises by Deacons, originally scheduled for Jan. 31 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, was rescheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.
Yet not everything ground to a halt. At Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, Father John Eckert officiated at the wedding of Logan and Madyson Hamilton on Saturday afternoon as heavy snow fell outside.
Father Eckert cheered his parishioners with a special Facebook video message he recorded standing in the snow outside the church.
“As we hit another Sunday where it is going to be a little bit harder to get to church, remember it is still a great day to keep the day holy,” he said, smiling. “Remember our Lord is with us in the sun and in the snow. He’s with us all the time.”
In High Point, Father Matthew Harrison had 60 campus ministry students attend a candlelight Mass in the snow despite temperatures below 20 degrees.
“Our Knights of Columbus college chapter spent the whole day working on the altar and the cruciform outline of the church,” he said. “By the time Mass was ended, our holy water in the holy water font was frozen into a block of holy ice.”
Churches that were able to offer Masses reported near-empty pews. Deacon Sigfrido Della Valle, Hispanic Ministry coordinator for the Smoky Mountains Vicariate, said some parishes saw attendance drop to the single digits.
While no buildings were reported damaged, the storms took a financial toll. Our Lady of the Highways Church in Thomasville, which sits atop a hill overlooking U.S. Hwy. 29, canceled all Masses and activities both weekends as ice and snow made access unsafe.
Father Gabriel Carvajal-Salazar, pastor, said the 10 canceled Masses – five each weekend –meant lost offertory collections and reduced parish income.
“The economic impact is strong. If there is no collection, what are we going to do?” Father Carvajal-Salazar said. “Many of our Hispanic parishioners tend to give cash donations at Mass, and very few donate online.”
Yet as soon as the skies had cleared, volunteers picked up shovels to remove the snow and ice and help the church reopen by mid-week. Father Carvajal-Salazar said that community support has been immense.
“Amid everything, I noticed a fraternal spirit among the community,” he said. “They came out to help one another and were very charitable.”
— Brian Segovia
The Sunday Mass obligation
Catholics are obliged to go to Mass every Sunday and on designated holy days, unless excused for a serious reason (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2180-2182). Serious reasons include illness or disability, the care of infants or the sick, or circumstances beyond one’s control – such as severe weather that makes travel unsafe. When driving conditions are hazardous, Catholics should not risk their own safety or the safety of others to attend Mass. Instead, the faithful are encouraged to keep the Sabbath holy through prayer, reading the Scriptures of the day, or watching a Mass on TV or online.
